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Topic : 12/31 "Who Am I?"

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Created on : Friday, October 10, 2008, 02:53:30 pm

Author : DrPhilBoard1

(Original Air Date: 10/16/08) Imagine waking up one day and having no recollection of anything or anyone. What would you do? Four years ago, that was the fate of a man who now calls himself Benjaman: Found beaten, naked and unconscious behind a Burger King in Georgia, Benjaman didn't even recognize himself in the mirror. Although he can't recall his past, what does Benjaman say he knows to be true about his life? Katherine, a nurse working at a health facility, took him in and is working tirelessly to help him discover his true identity. Dr. Phil put private investigator Harold Copus on the case. Did he determine Benjaman's true identity? Is Benjaman suffering from a severe case of amnesia? Dr. Barbara Knowlton, professor of psychology at UCLA and Dr. Frank Lawlis, chairman of the Dr. Phil advisory board, shed light on this condition. Then, meet Holly, who not only suffers from amnesia, but is also fighting another condition that has dramatically hindered her life. Find out how she has been able to move forward. Will the advice she offers Benjaman inspire him to keep putting one foot in front of the other? Tune in to see if you recognize Benjaman.

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George W Bush likeness!!

I am a student in Public Health and Biological Science at the University of North Carolina Charlotte; I have a keen interest in genetics and epidemiology. I find Benjamin Nobody to have several distinct traits to our beloved president, George W. Bush. His eyes and nose structures bare some uncanny likeness to the Bush’s family. I would love to see a DNA match of him with the Bush’s family. Compare his photo with the president for starters. Perhaps his past was deliberately erased because of some unknown reasons. That's where I would begin my investigation if that was my case study.

No Sylvia Brown

I have amnesia!

First of all, I haven't seen todays show yet. It won't be on for another 3 hours. In the meantime though I can tell you that Amnesia is REAL! I cannot comment on the guest's, but I can comment on my own experience. I was in a car accident in 93, and among the many injuries that I had, I also had a head injury. I wasn't wearing a seat belt and the top of my head hit the windshield extremely hard.

I don't remember myself what went on after the accident, or what happened at the hospital, I can only go by what others have told me. All I knew is that I was married, who my husband was, I knew my family, and that was about it. I didn't know who was president or even what year it was. I was told by my surgeon that this was temporary, and that everything would come back, but it hasn't. Well, Actually I did regain a lot of my memory but I have lost 1&1/2 years of my life.

I have no memory whatsoever of the one full year prior to the accident, and over 6 months of after the accident. It's a lot harder to deal with than one would think. I don't remember where I worked, where I lived, my friends during that time, anything I did, nothing. My husband has had to show me everything and tell me what it was like. We had just moved to the town in which we now live when this happened. It's beyond weird! Plus, just the fact of losing over an entire year of my life is hard to deal with. It's so hard to explain and a lot of the time people don't believe me. They think amnesia isn't real.

Just keep in mind as you watch this show, that it is in fact a real ailment, or whatever you want to call it. As I said, I can't comment on the people on the show as I have even seen it yet. But I know it has happened to me. I also know that after 15 years my memory will in fact never come back. Keep an open mind on this subject and be thankful that it has never happened to you or someone that you love.

Well, if I was.................

I am a student in Public Health and Biological Science at the University of North Carolina Charlotte; I have a keen interest in genetics and epidemiology. I find Benjamin Nobody to have several distinct traits to our beloved president, George W. Bush. His eyes and nose structures bare some uncanny likeness to the Bushs family. I would love to see a DNA match of him with the Bushs family. Compare his photo with the president for starters. Perhaps his past was deliberately erased because of some unknown reasons. That's where I would begin my investigation if that was my case study.

If I was related to our "Beloved?" president Bush, I would try my hardest to forget who I was also!

Amnesia?

I feel so bad for that man. I hope he figures out what happened. I also thought he should try a psychic. At this point I would be open to anything. If I were him, I would contact a good psychic like Char. I think he looked military. I do not know why. Maybe he was in Vietnam and that was tramatic to him. I am not sure if he is too young for that. I will pray for him and I hope Dr Phil keeps us updated on him. That is why I came on here to see if there was any updates. Well best of luck Mr. Benjamin if you read this. :)

As I haven't seen this show yet I can't make any real comments on what happened to this man. But, I do know that a blow to a specific area of the head can in fact cause amnesia. I should know as this happened to me. Luckily, I only lost 1&1/2 years of my memory. I'm curious to see this show and to see what test's they have done on him. Did they look for a blow to his head?

sad

I feel sorry for the man because his life has been stolen away from him. My hope is that Dr Phil helps him find the life he needs. I really pitty him so much. How can somekind of cowards do that to such a person? I really hope that he finds good meanings with his life. Please Dr.Phil, help him.

10/16 "Who Am I?"

I also can't believe someone would beat him up and leave him for dead. I also wondered if maybe he really was homeless before maybe into drugs. The lady that came on the show today did not remember anything after taking a pill from a stranger. Maybe he was homeless and maybe into drugs...and got into it with someone and can not remember after that. The show never told if he had been tested when he was found, for drugs or really anything. He seems really smart to be homeless but I am sure a lot of people that are homeless are smart they just lost their way and have emotional problems and addictions.

Why not try this

Why not try regression therapy? They did it on the Oprah show if I'm not mistaken. That might be something that he could do to go back and remember. It would open the right doors in his brain to remember his past. Its an option other than not knowing.

Real life

This story sounds insane. Most people think this kind of stuff and only happens in movies but it effects real people all the time. On all different levels at least.

I was at my graduation party when one of my classmates got knocked backward in a friendly wrestling match. I found out when I sat down next to him later and he looked at me with a blank, wide eyed expression and said, "I can't remember anything." He couldn't remember graduating, or anything after the previous afternoon for that matter. We were able to coach him along and by the end of the night he had recollected everything. We would ask him things like, "Where did we go first after the graduation?" and his face would light up as if remembering something from long ago and say, "The Pool!"

On a more extreme level. I was talking with an old coworker and she told me about a friend of hers who suffered from stress induced amnesia. She woke up one day and couldn't remember the last 15 years of her life. She was found wandering around the house looking for her daughter, trying to find a three year old, when her daughter was 18.

Congratulations on the show

I have followed Mr. Kyle's case for a while now. Please spread the word and the link around to as many people as you can-the key in finding out his identity will be word of mouth. Another aspect to consider is the fact that this man cannot collect any kind of benefit, drive or hold a job because he has no ID. He has no source of income and cannot take any steps to make himself independent. You be the judge after you see the show-can you imagine being trapped into living based on the kindness of strangers??? It is a nightmare.